Non-Traditional (Stripper-Free!) Bachelor Party Ideas in Atlanta

What a post title, eh? So yes, we are Atlanta wedding photographers, and usually the bachelor party is something you do NOT want to have pictures of (think: The Hangover and Hangover Part 2, lol!). But, it just so happens that I am sort of planning a “bachelor party” for our close friend John next weekend before we head down to photograph their Playa del Carmen, Mexico destination wedding and I was really struggling with finding ideas that do not involve strip clubs…

While Betty, Jess and the girls are out getting pedicures and Chinese dim sum (yes we’re a pretty wild bunch…), I wanted to find something for more of a “guy’s day out” for us to do on that same day. So aside from going to Atlanta’s fashionable Cheetah and Pink Pony (total sarcasm there), here are some ideas that I’ve come across for a guy’s (stripper-less) non-traditional bachelor party day. The specific names are local venues here in the greater Atlanta, Georgia area but the concepts can easily be translated to your city/state of choice! In no particular order…

Brewery Tour
Sweetwater Brewing. Red Brick Brewing. Terrapin Beer Company. Atlanta has it’s fair share of very respectable micro breweries and just because the bachelor party is without ladies doesn’t mean it has to be dry. We love to support our local breweries so check the times and dates when they open their doors to brewery tours, and find a designated driver depending on how much sampling happens afterwards.

Cigar Lounge
Highland Cigar Co. Buckhead Cigar at Dantannas. After dinner why not hit up the local cigar lounge to relax and smoke a stogie? Nothing says “bachelor party” like a good cigar and upscale places like Highland allow you relax with some fine spirits and fine cigars. Or just have the Best Man buy a round of the finest ahead of time and take with you on another adventure from this list.

Shooting Range/Hunting/Fishing
Sandy Springs Gun Club & Range. Quickshot Shooting Range. Chattahoochee River. Gulf Coast. For the more outdoorsy groomsman, how about a hunting trip with the boys? Barring a guy’s weekend, find a local shooting range to be manly and fire some live ammunition. Which leads to another idea… Fishing! I’m originally from Florida so fishing is near and dear, the only problem is that Atlanta is relatively land locked. Hit up one of the many lakes around Georgia or make the trek down to the Gulf Coast.

Weekend Hiking/Camping Trip
Georgia State Parks. You don’t have to go hunting to enjoy the great outdoors. Close to Atlanta you have the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which isn’t too much of a stretch of a weekend getaway, or choose something not so outdoorsy. Did you know that you can rent a lodge in places like Amicalola Falls and Unicoi State Park in the North Georgia Mountains? Speaking of renting, you can also rent camping gear from your local REI, how cool is that?

Video Games
Dave & Buster’s. Battle & Brew. It’s true, boys love their games. If getting out is your thing, places like Dave & Busters combine a bar and an arcade into one, it’s a guy’s dream come true! Battle and Brew has a similar concept but geared more towards an organization of modern competitive console games, and I think the name says it all, right?. Of course, what might be more appealing to the boys and the bride-to-be, is letting the guys just get together and have a weekend house-party fueled by Papa John’s and Xbox/Playstation 3 with all the Halo and Call of Duty they can handle.

Brazilian Steakhouse/Churrascaria
Fogo de Chao. Fire of Brazil. The boys need to eat, right? Steak is a very manly option and what’s better than a steak? All the steak you can eat! If you’ve never been to a Churrascaria then you’re in for a treat, and if you have you’re probably dying to go back. Plan a nearby bar to walk to afterwards (like Meehan’s Public House in Downtown next to Fire of Brazil) so you can loosen up the waistline after you devour 5 pounds of cow.

Those are some great ideas to get you started, but of course let your imagination run wild! Anything from a round of golf to yes, the fabled Las Vegas bachelor party. Midtown and Buckhead both provide active nightlife scenes for the dedicated bar hopper, or try a good old fashioned pub crawl (with a designated driver of course) through Atlanta’s lively neighborhoods like Edgewood and Little 5 Points. Last but not least, check the local listings for sporting events at the Georgia Dome or concerts at The Tabernacle for a group atmosphere if you don’t mind not hear each other over the frenzied fans. Good luck planning your own bachelor party! I’ll report on John’s and how it all went down before his destination wedding in early February which we’ll be photographing in Playa del Carmen, Mexico!